OU Co-Publishes Trauma Journal

Posted by on July 7, 2014 in
On June 17, Ottawa University and the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) co-published the first edition of the International Journal of Trauma Research and Practice, with Dr. Paula Wolfe, OU’s director of learning accountability and academic innovation, serving as managing editor.

A first for the University, the research journal was developed out of a partnership established between OU and IATP. The Association’s president, Dr. Mike Dubi, was aware of the reputation of OU’s Master of Arts in Counseling: Treatment of Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation program. He was also professionally associated with Dr. Bob Rhoton, who works in the trauma field and is the field placement coordinator and an assistant professor in OU’s counseling program. The fit became obvious for a formal professional association. Drs. Dubi and Rhoton serve as the editors for the journal and have already received great interest in the journal from the trauma treatment and research community.

To be published bi-annually, the International Journal of Trauma Research and Practice is an open-access journal available to all association members and the public. It incorporates papers from the field of trauma studies, as well as from the field of education, law, health care, and psychology to address wide-ranging issues experienced as a result of trauma.

Through a combination of empirical research, case studies, and cutting edge work in the field, the journal seeks to share a sophisticated understanding of traumatic stress issues and interventions in order to educate about traumatic stress, both within and outside the therapeutic community.

“While trauma professionals have long known the wide-ranging impact of trauma on the American public, until recently trauma has been seen as an individual ‘problem’ that needs to be solved,” says Dr. Wolfe. “In recent national Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) surveys, it has become clear that individuals with traumatic stress issues can no longer be considered exceptional – they have become the norm.

“In fact, several states have reported that 40-60% of children have been impacted by trauma and, according to UNICEF, these figures are consistent throughout the world. We hope to inform the issues surrounding trauma, its treatment and intervention through the publication of this new journal.”

The inaugural issue of the International Journal of Trauma Research and Practice, which focuses on trauma and anger, can be viewed on the association’s website at traumapro.net/. The site also includes guidelines for article submission.

Ottawa University’s partnership with IATP also involved some educational benefits for the OU community, including discounted training from IATP, OU counseling students completing the concentration in trauma, abuse, and deprivation are eligible for the Certified Clinical Trauma Professional credential. Additionally, IATP and OU are working towards creating a certification program for trauma informed educators. OU will pioneer offering courses towards certification through the School of Education’s Professional Education Program (PEP) at the Arizona location.

The International Association of Trauma Professionals was established in 2009 and has a current membership of approximately 7,000.